MEMS device having a mechanical barrier structure

Abstract

A MEMS device comprises a housing with an interior volume, wherein the housing includes an access port to the interior volume; a MEMS sound transducer in the housing, and a mechanical barrier structure having a plate element that is fixed by elastic spacers to a carrier and overlaps the access port, and providing a ventilation path passing a boundary region of the plate element, wherein a clearance of the ventilation path is set by the distance of the boundary region of the plate element to the housing or by the distance of the boundary region of the plate element to a blocking structure that opposes the boundary region of the plate element.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A MEMS device comprising:
 a housing with an interior volume, wherein the housing comprises an access port to the interior volume;   a MEMS sound transducer in the housing;   a mechanical barrier structure having a plate element, which is fixed by elastic spacers to a carrier and overlaps the access port; and   a ventilation path passing a boundary region of the plate element, wherein the boundary region is defined as a peripheral area of the plate element overlapping the elastic spacers and/or a blocking structure, wherein the blocking structure is located on the carrier, wherein the blocking structure is configured to inhibit particles from an environment to enter the housing of the MEMS device, and   wherein a clearance of the ventilation path is defined as a distance between the blocking structure and the plate element.   
     
     
         2 . The MEMS device of  claim 1 , wherein the carrier for the plate element is an integral part of the housing. 
     
     
         3 . The MEMS device of  claim 1 , wherein the carrier comprises at least one of a structured glass element, a structured silicon element, or a perforated metal plate. 
     
     
         4 . The MEMS device of  claim 1 , wherein the blocking structure is a deposited and structured material on the carrier and opposes the boundary region of the plate element. 
     
     
         5 . The MEMS device of  claim 1 , wherein the blocking structure comprises an imide material. 
     
     
         6 . The MEMS device of  claim 1 , wherein the elastic spacers are fixed to areas of the boundary region of the plate element. 
     
     
         7 . The MEMS device of  claim 1 , wherein a material of the elastic spacers has an E-modulus less than 1 MPa. 
     
     
         8 . The MEMS device of  claim 1 , wherein the elastic spacers comprise a silicone material and/or a glue material. 
     
     
         9 . The MEMS device of  claim 1 , wherein the plate element comprises a stiff material with an E-modulus larger than 5 GPa. 
     
     
         10 . The MEMS device of  claim 1 , wherein the plate element comprises at least one of glass, silicon, or metal. 
     
     
         11 . The MEMS device of  claim 1 , wherein the clearance at the boundary region of the plate element is between 1 μm and 10 μm. 
     
     
         12 . The MEMS device of  claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a substrate and a lid element, wherein the access port is arranged in the substrate. 
     
     
         13 . The MEMS device of  claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a substrate and a lid element, wherein the access port is arranged in the lid element, and wherein the carrier with the plate element is fixed to the lid element. 
     
     
         14 . The MEMS device of  claim 12 , wherein a sidewall region of the access port in the substrate opposes the boundary region of the plate element. 
     
     
         15 . The MEMS device of  claim 1 , wherein the carrier for the plate element is fixed to the housing. 
     
     
         16 . The MEMS device of  claim 1 , wherein the blocking structure comprises a silicon-oxide material. 
     
     
         17 . The MEMS device of  claim 1 , wherein the elastic spacers comprise dots of a silicone material and/or dots of a glue material. 
     
     
         18 . The MEMS device of  claim 1 , wherein the mechanical barrier structure is located in a substrate of the housing so that the plate element is located at an outside of the substrate.